It's begun.... 118 days and counting!

The 2011 edition of Ironman Western Australia is 17 weeks away.... and I will be there on race day! I have worked out my training plan, penciled in a few half marathons and fun runs, cycling races, a duathlon and an Olympic distance race in preparation for the big day. My goals have been set and I am ready to begin my journey!

'Earn the Dream' - is the mantra that will help me get through the next 118 days!

Last week I was on board the Super Star Virgo (a cruise ship) cruising the Malacca Straits with the Luckin family. The cruise went from Singapore, to Penang, Phuket, KL and Redang. It was nice to have a week of doing nothing and relaxing - no work to think about, not  feeling guilty about missing a training session and eating all the food I wanted (we went a little crazy on the buffets....). This holiday has been planned for a while and has been an important 'flag in the sand'. I gave myself a few months of unstructured training after the Busselton 70.3 and this cruise represented the start of my Ironman program.

 Redang Island - Malaysia

 Mark, Lisa and I on the ship

 Lisa and I in the 'Bella Vista'

 View from the Singapore Flyer

 Redang Island, Malaysia

As of Monday, Ironman training has begun.... My training volume was low this week, however I will increase the distance over the next 4 weeks.

Week 1
Swim - 9km
Bike - 170km
Run - 52km

The sun is starting to show slightly earlier in the morning but the rain is still here! I am looking forward to seeing the end of this miserable weather.

Stay tuned for updates as I prepare for my first Ironman on 4 December 2011.

Cheers,

Andy